Schalke deepens Wolfsburg relegation worries with 4-1 win

BERLIN (AP) - Schalke defeated Wolfsburg 4-1 to leave the 2009 Bundesliga champion uncomfortably close to the relegation zone on Saturday after two straight losses.

Wolfsburg stayed one point clear of danger with only six games remaining, while Schalke eased its relegation concerns by moving to 10th, eight points clear.

Max Meyer set up Guido Burgstaller to give the home side an early lead, and Leon Goretzka made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute.

Schalke's scorer Leon Goretzka puts his arm on Schalke's scorer Daniel Caligiuri after the third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and VfL Wolfsburg in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Saturday, April 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Daniel Caligiuri, a winter signing from Wolfsburg, scored against his former club just after the break, and Burgstaller claimed his second with more than 10 minutes remaining.

Mario Gomez pulled one back with a penalty but it was too little, too late for the visitors, who slumped to their second successive defeat under new coach Andries Jonker.

Jonker had been unbeaten in four games until Wednesday's loss at home to Freiburg.

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LEIPZIG 1, BAYER LEVERKUSEN 0

Substitute Yussuf Poulsen scored in the third minute of injury time for Leipzig to stay on course for an automatic Champions League place from its debut season in the top flight.

Leipzig captain Willi Orban was sent off with two minutes remaining but there was still time for Emil Forsberg to set up Poulsen's winner.

"You can sense that we fully believe in ourselves. We're now in a top position for the last games," said Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl. His side stayed second, seven points behind Bayern Munich ahead of its clash with Borussia Dortmund in the late game. Leipzig is seven points clear of third-placed Hoffenheim, which lost in Hamburg.

Leverkusen remained six points off the relegation zone.

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HAMBURGER SV 2, HOFFENHEIM 1

After beating Bayern on Tuesday, Hoffenheim stumbled against Hamburg.

Aaron Hunt fired third-placed Hamburg in front midway through the first half with a free kick inside the far post, only for Matthias Ostrzolek to give away a penalty, which was converted by Andrej Kramaric 10 minutes before the break.

But American forward Bobby Wood crossed for Hunt to score Hamburg's winner with a quarter-hour remaining, lifting the side four points clear of the relegation zone after its fourth straight win at home.

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COLOGNE 2, BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH 3

After extending his contract to 2022, Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn had to pick the ball out of his net in the 13th minute of the Rhine derby when Jannik Vestergaard headed the visitors in front.

Ibrahima Traore's cross for Thorgan Hazard eluded Horn and went in after the break, three minutes before Modeste equalized for the home side again with a fine volley. It was the French striker's 23rd goal of the season.

Then 'Gladbach captain Lars Stindl struck the winner in the 80th to lift the side to eighth, a point behind Cologne in sixth.

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FREIBURG 1, MAINZ 0

Nils Petersen converted from close range with 20 minutes remaining to leave Martin Schmidt's job as Mainz coach in danger after the side's fifth straight defeat.

There was controversy over the goal. Petersen was kept onside due to an injured Mainz player lying on the pitch.

Only goal difference was keeping Mainz out of the relegation zone, though that could change Sunday when Augsburg, which also has 29 points, visits Hertha Berlin.

(This story has been corrected to show that Yussuf Poulsen scored Leipzig's winner, not Emil Forsberg.)

Schalke's Guido Burgstaller celebrates after scoring his second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and VfL Wolfsburg in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Saturday, April 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)